Taking care of your loss of hearing can be good for your brain. At least, that’s according to a new study by a team of researchers out of the University of Manchester. These analysts considered a group of more than 2000 participants over the course of approximately 2 decades (1996 to 2014). The attention-getting conclusions? Dementia can be slowed by up to 75% by dealing with hearing loss.

That is not an insignificant figure.

Nevertheless, it’s not really that surprising. That’s not to detract from the weight of the finding, of course, this is an important statistical connection between the battle against cognitive decline and the treatment of hearing loss. But it coordinates well with what we already know: as you age, it’s essential to treat your loss of hearing if you want to slow down dementia.

What Does This Research on Dementia Mean For me?

Scientific research can be perplexing and contradictory (should I eat eggs, should I not eat eggs? How about wine? Will drinking wine help me live longer?). The reasons for that are long, varied, and not really that pertinent to our topic here. The main point here is: this new research is yet another piece of evidence that suggests neglected hearing loss can result in or exacerbate mental decline including dementia.

So what does this mean for you? In some ways, it’s pretty straight forward: you should come see us immediately if you’ve observed any loss of hearing. And, if you require a hearing aid, you need to definitely start using that hearing aid as advised.

When You Use Them Correctly, Hearing Aids Can Forestall Dementia

Unfortunately, not everybody falls directly into the practice of wearing a prescribed pair of hearing aids. Some of the reasons why are:

• The way that the hearing aid is advertised to work, doesn’t seem to be the way it’s currently working. Many people need to have their settings adjusted, and calibration problems are definitely something that can be addressed by our hearing specialists.
• How hearing aids look concerns you. Today, we have lots of designs available which might surprise you. Plus, many hearing aid models are manufactured to be very discreet.
• The hearing aid isn’t feeling like it fits very well. If you are having this issue, please let us know. They can fit better and we’re here to help.
• Peoples voices are difficult to make out. In many cases, it takes time for your brain to adapt to recognizing voices again. There are some things we can recommend, including reading along with an audiobook, that can help make this process easier.

Your future mental faculties and even your overall health are obviously impacted by wearing hearing aids. We can help if you’re struggling with any of the above. At times the answer will take patience and time, but working with your hearing professional to make sure your hearing aids are working for you is a part of the process.

It’s more significant than ever to deal with your hearing loss specifically in the light of the new evidence. Take the treatment seriously because hearing aids are safeguarding your hearing and your mental health.

Dementia And Hearing Aids, What’s The Connection?, What’s The Relationship?

So why are these two health conditions hearing loss and dementia even linked to begin with? Social isolation is the prominent theory but experts are not completely sure. Some people, when faced with hearing loss, become less socially involved. A different theory refers to sensory stimulation. Over time, if a person loses sensory stimulation, like hearing loss, the brain gets less activity which then causes cognitive decline.

You hear better with a hearing aid. Providing a natural safeguard for your brain against cognitive decline and helping to keep your brain active. That’s why dealing with hearing loss can slow dementia by as much as 75% percent and why it shouldn’t be surprising that there is a link between the two.